Exuberance of young leadership brings hope to Bez Valley youngsters

Tambue Kamanga and Ikima Nkoy from Bez Valley are proving that you are never too young to lead.

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The two 13-year-old boys have started a soccer team in their area.

The team was established four years ago after the boys saw a need for the children to be active.

“We love soccer and we played for our school team at the time. When we got home we would see boys doing nothing and just hanging around.

“We decided we needed to do something positive and active. We already had the skill, and we decided to share with others,” said Tambue.

The name of the team is Atletico de Bez Valley United and it has 23 team members.

Tambue and Ikima said it is not easy to be a young coach but they love the challenge.

“We want to inspire others through our skills and how we do that is by disciplining ourselves. Showing commitment and respecting others.

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“I know I’m a good soccer player but in my team, I have even better players who have the potential of going far in soccer,” said Tambue.

The boys said the team is special because it’s a group of young boys doing it for themselves.

“We all have dreams and we support one another. We help each other where we lack, and move forward as a team,” said Tambue.

The boys are inspired by Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City.

“We love these two teams because they both have something different to offer. Sundowns has groomed some of the best players in the league and that is important.

“Cape Town City is new in the league but it has quality players and you can see it in the way they play,” said Tambue.

He said circumstances should never be a reason to hinder anyone from making a difference.

“We could have been scared to start the team because we are young, but we did not allow fear to hinder us. “We started the team and it’s growing we may not have a kit or equipment, but we are committed to making this team a success,” said Tambue.

The team has limited resources and use what they have to train.

“It would be nice to have training equipment and a kit because that will also be a motivation and a boost to the team,” said Ikima.

The boys’ wish is that the department of sports and recreation will visit areas like Rhodes Park where immature tournaments are played to see what sports can do for young people, and how they can help.

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